2. AURELIA

Chapter two

AURELIA

I t had been a few hours since the trials had happened. The crowds had settled down, met their future king, and went on their journeys back to their villages and cities.

We sat at the large dark oak wood table in the dining hall. At the table's helm, my father presided with an air of authority, with Tobias on one side and my mother and me on the other. The rest of the large table was filled with the remaining of our trusted knights. Some of them, their armor bearing the marks of today's battle, were chosen as the victors from their cities.

Each city decided in their own way who they'd want to be their victor to send to the trials. Some held games to choose the person, whereas others had voting ceremonies. Those who didn't perish today were offered a standing in our Clandike Kingdom to be a knight in the castle.

Looking around the table, I attempted to see which knights decided to stay to work for the king rather than going home. Out of the twenty victors chosen, only ten had survived, and only five new faces were around the table, deciding to stay in the castle to serve their king.

He let me leave my tower to have dinner with him, my mother, and the trusted knights who knew about me. At least my father did that for me. Other than that, I had to stay stuck in my tower. He didn't even know I had left it for the Trials by Fire.

"My dear Aurelia," my father chirped, lifting his chalice of wine into the air. "Our knight, Tobias, has won the Trials by Fire and will now be the future king," he said, assuming that I wasn't at the match and didn't see it for myself. He lifted his chalice higher and looked at all the knights sitting around the table. "To Tobias Maxwell. Our future king! Hurrah!"

Everyone else said, "Hurrah," in unison, sipping from their gray bejeweled chalices.

Not only did he have no idea that I was at the Trials by Fire, but he also was clueless to Tobias' and my romantic history, making the interaction even more awkward.

I lifted my chalice, as well, and partook of the berried sour wine. Even though I disagreed with Tobias becoming king, the least I had to do was pretend. Making eye contact with Tobias, I scowled, ensuring he knew of my feelings toward him. As a mockery response, he winked at me as he brought his drink to his lips, reminding me of his promise. If I win, I will ensure you marry me to obtain your rightful place on the throne. My golden blood boiled beneath my skin.

"Just a reminder to everyone that we will celebrate Tobias and his new title as heir to the throne with a masquerade ball in two nights' time. Invitations have already been passed out to the nobles and others of high stature to celebrate our future king," my father announced, his voice becoming scratchy.

The knights along the table applauded Tobias again and the thrill of the event being held in the castle. I couldn't help but personally roll my eyes.

I then noticed the small black tattoo on Tobias' right wrist. The curse that was etched into his skin: the scaled curse. I strained my eyes to see the curse he received for killing Laneux 1 . In black ink was a heart with an x through the middle of it. Out of all the curses, he would receive that one. I smirked, setting my chalice down on the table with everyone else.

Seeing his curse was the confirmation I needed that I was right to end the secret relationship that we had. We had wanted different things, and the curse displayed on his wrist proved this.

My father wiped the velvety foam from his face with his sleeve, revealing his own dragon tattoo on his right wrist. "Tobias, what is the first thing you would do as king?" he asked. Tobias lifted a side of his smile in an eerie smirk.

"Myre, that's a great question!" he exclaimed. The way that he said my father's first name made me arch my eyebrows together. I wanted to remind him that my father was the king of the Clandike Kingdom and should be treated as such. He had a title, and it should be used.

Eyeing Tobias, I waited for what he had to say. A hushed stillness settled over the dining hall, attentive to Tobias' every word.

"I would prepare to go to war with the Sardan Kingdom." His comment was full of force and struck each person listening to his words.

We had been rivals with the Sardan Kingdom, but why would we go to war with them? Why would we risk killing off our men to go to war? I wanted to protest, but held my tongue. It wouldn't even make sense. We were on the other side of the Forbidden Forest, anyway. We were far from them and hadn't had any issues with them recently. At least, none that I knew of.

My father's eyes narrowed as he watched Tobias. He started grabbing some of the golden meat placed in the center of the table onto his ceramic plate, making clunking noises with his fork as he did so.

"And why would you do that, Tobias?" My father's voice was calm and unshaken.

"Myre," he paused and then looked at my mother, "and Dyla, of course." She giggled as he said her name. "I am not sure if both of you know, but the king of the Sardan Kingdom has been working with a sorcerer named Tybalt. They have been plotting together to bring back magic from the Old Religion and to make it a custom throughout the kingdom. They would use this to their advantage against us." He plopped another piece of meat into his mouth and raised his eyebrows, attempting to get his point across.

This reminded me that Tobias knew about my grandmother. However, he never made it prominent that he had seen her as a threat. Why would it matter to him that magic from the Old Religion had anything to do with our kingdom if he knew that we used it as well?

My father's lips were pursed, his brows lifted upward. How was he going to respond?

Nerves wracked my body, making me unable to eat anything. My appetite had disappeared from the events of the day, and I kept my plate empty as everyone else piled their own. Servers, wearing complete black to hide in the shadows, filled the oak-ridden tables with different meats, fruits, and various slices of cheese.

A mouse-like server came behind me with a glass pitcher of wine to fill my chalice with more liquid, but I held my hand over it, unable to stomach anything else.

"I see. And Tobias, how did you hear about this… plotting?" Did he believe Tobias? Was Tobias lying about what he heard and where he received this information?

"I have connections, King Myre." I noted that he added the title into my father's name this time, maybe to backtrack if possibly offending him. The king simply nodded and took a portion of the golden meat for himself on his plate. "And I am wracked with enthusiasm for the masquerade ball you will be hosting for me."

I winced, wanting to gag at his words. I didn't want the idea of him on the throne of my kingdom to become a reality.

Tobias leaned over and winked at my father.

"Sir Tobias, how did you know to kill the dragon by the back of his ear?" one of the knights down the table asked, breaking the short gap of silence. I had seen him around a lot more recently. I knew his name was Clark, but I didn't know much about him. His curly blonde hair gleamed in the light, and his facial hair had a darker tone than the pale color of his skin.

Tobias turned to look at Clark and finished swallowing one of his bites of the crisped meat. "Ahhh. I read parchment on everything I could learn about dragons to prepare for this moment. It helped to have access to the king's library." He looked at my father, who winked at him this time. I couldn't stand it anymore. The burnished chair creaked behind me, scraping along the wood floor as I rose from my seat.

"You are a monster, Tobias Maxwell. You are killing off a species that is already almost extinct!" My voice was unwavering and steady as I stood up for Laneux , for the dragon that he slaughtered and all other dragons that continued to be slaughtered day after day, their extinction crawling closer with each swipe of a sword.

Tobias made a "hmph" sound and stared me down, meeting my gaze. He didn't have to say anything as my father stood up for Tobias, speaking for him. "Aurelia, we are not the monsters. They are. They are a threat to our species. It is either us or them!" His voice started to rise. It was almost as if he said, ‘it is either us or you.' And, of course, I would never be chosen.

"You know what?" I demanded the attention from all the knights at the table; I demanded the attention of my father, the king of a messed up kingdom. "Father, you are the monster here, and you deserve to die and go to Haxnau 2 ." Gasps echoed through the dining hall, filling after with silence. The sconces flickering side to side, not a single muscle moving. "And Tobias," I yelled, further demanding everyone's attention, "you deserve that curse."

After more silence, Tobias chuckled, his eyes rolling. "You don't know what I deserve. And what silly courage you have to talk to the king like that when he does so much for you." He paused, standing to meet my gaze rather than staring up at me. Whispering, he said, "You are so selfish that you have no idea what he would do for you. Maybe think about anyone else other than yourself for once, Aurelia." My name on his lips felt like venom, poisoning the veins in my body. The anger in me just boiled even more, steam radiating from my body, sweat trickling down my brow.

He was so close I could hit him. Leaning over the table, I was about to act on the anger fueling my thoughts when a cluster of knights took my hands and forced me back.

"Let me go!" I yelled, struggling against their hold.

"Take her to her tower," my father commanded.

"Where she belongs," Tobias added. Whipping my head back, I shot him a death glare, one I hoped would pierce his nightmares to his very core.

1. Laneux (Law-neh-ooh)

2. Haxnau (Hah-nah-woo): Hell